Sep. 09/21 Articles Print Page

Being a farmer involves long hours and hard work—and more often than not involves unpredictable weather and difficult market conditions.

Yet farmers find the time and the means to make a difference in their communities, both near and far.

For many Alberta farmers, participating locally in a Canadian Foodgrains growing project is a way to make a difference at a global level. Founded in 1983, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank works to end global hunger by providing emergency humanitarian responses to address immediate need and development projects that provide agricultural training.

While each Foodgrains growing project is unique, reflecting the area the crop is grown and the people involved, there are some common practices. The Foodgrains Canada website shares that the farmer or farmers involved “plant, tend and harvest a crop, sell it on the Canadian market, and then donate the proceeds towards (the Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s) work to end world hunger.”

And there’s local involvement as well. Area businesses often become involved and assist the growing projects with donations of things like seed and fertilizer, and services—like insurance. This year, Agriculture Financial Services Corporation supported 35 growing projects throughout Alberta through the donation of hail insurance. These include:

  • Acres of Hope, St. Paul
  • Bear Lake Growing Project, Grande Prairie
  • Central Alberta Foodgrains Project
  • Chin Food Growing Project, Taber
  • Coaldale-Lethbridge Community Growing Project
  • Edberg Growing Project, Camrose
  • Foothills Growing Project, High River
  • Granum Growing Project, Claresholm
  • Kneehill North Growing Project
  • Leduc & District Growing Project for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank
  • Linden Acme Growing Project, Three Hills
  • Lions Club of Vulcan
  • Medicine Hat & District Growing Project & Canadian Foodgrains Bank
  • Mennonite Central Committee Grow Hope Foundation, Rocky View
  • Neerlandia/Vega Community Growing Project
  • Newell Foodgrains Growing Project
  • NorthEast Growing Project, St. Paul
  • Picture Butte & Area Growing Project
  • Ponoka Community Growing Project
  • Red Deer Legacy Growing Project
  • Share the Harvest, Lamont
  • St. Paul’s Growing Project
  • Taber & District Foodgrains Project
  • Vauxhall & District Growing Project
  • Vegreville & District Food Grains Project
  • West Field Community Growing Project, Foremost
  • Young Guns Growing Project, Three Hills